Knitting machine



1931- P. A. BENTLEY ET AL 1,838,651

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 25, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 l I Z??? 6' 77 w 2-. @fZZZZM 1931- P. A. BENTLEY ET AL 1,833,551

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 25, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 29, 1931. p BENTLEY ET AL 1,838,651

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 25, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 1931- P. A. BENTLEY ET AL 1,333,651

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 25, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 gme'nl ou gym a attozmql Patented Dec. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PER-01V AL ARTHUR BENTLEY, CHARLES FREDERICK HANGER, AND CARLYLE HERBERT WAINWRIGHT, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO THE BENTLEY ENGINEER- ING COMPANY, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND, A BRITISH'COMIANY COMPOSED OF PEBGI- V'AL ARTHUR BENTLEY AND JOSEPH HQLLAND GODDARD KNITTING- MACHINE Application filed August25, 1928, Serial No. 301,983, and in Great Britain August 27, 1927.

This invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to knitting machines and it has for its general object to provide an improved method and improved means relating to the feeding of yarn to the needles of such machines. 4 I

A feature of the invention is a method for employment in a knitting machine, of feeding a yarn to the needles which comprises the operation of holding the yarn end, looping the yarn round the hook of one needle and the hook of that needle which is to be the first to receive the yarn, thereby forming a loop, and subsequently to lead both strands of theloop into the books of successive needles. and means to release the trapper during the feeding operation. v

A further feature of the invention is the provision. in a knitting machine, of a yarn feeder and mechanism for moving said feedor to cause it to deliver varn to a needle which is situated at a position in the needle circle where the needle latch is being closed and the latch has reached approximately a position at right angles to the shank of the needle.

The invention comprises also as a feature the provision. in a knitting machine, of yarn feeder interchanging mechanism comprising a plurality of yarn feeders, which mechanism, to give to the feeders partaking in such change the motion necessary for that purpose, comprises a carrier for all the feeders, means to move in said carrier and relatively thereto the individual feeders concerned in as said change. and means to move the carrier.

It is also within the scope of the present invention to provide, in a knitting machine, a yarn-changing mechanism comprising a plurality of yarn feeders, means appropriated to each feeder to impart thereto feedchanging movements, a selector for determining(when a yarn-change is to be made) which of said feeder-changing means shall be rendered operative, and a pattern device for controlling, at predetermined times in the knitting, the selective effect of said selector.

Other features of the invention will be hereinafter described and specifically point ed out in the appended claims.

A convenient construction according to the present invention is herein described as applied to a knitting machine of the type that is characterized by having superposed needle cylinders within corresponding cam boxes and means to produce relative rotation and rotary reciprocation of the cylinders and cam boxes and by the employment of doubleended needles Examples of machines of this type are disclosed in U. S. Patents Nos. 793,791, 1,210,866, and British Patent'No. 171,483. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited in itsapplication to machines of this particular type as features of the invention are equally applicable to other types of circular or other knitting machines.

A convenient construction of mechanism according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accom panying drawings, and by way of example,

as applied to a circular knitting machine of the type above referred to, the particular machine to which the mechanism is herein considered as applied being one of the aforesaid type in which the cam cylinders are sta tionary and the needle cylinders rotate.

In the accompanying drawings, all of which are more or less diagrammatic Figure 1 is an elevation of the yarnchan 'ng mechanism showing its position relatively to the needle cylinders of a knit ting machine of the type referred to but with some parts omitted.

Figure 2is a plan of the mechanism shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an elevation looking in the direction of the arrow, Figure 1, of the supporting frame of the mechanism and of the levers for operating the yarn feeders, all the levers being shown in alignment for clearness.

Figure 4 is an elevation partly in section on the line l-4 of Figure 1 of one of the yarn cutting and trapping devices.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4 drawn on a larger scale.

Figure 6 is a view showing part of the mechanism for operating one of the cutting and trapping devices.

Figure 7 1s a view of the mechanism for operating one of the feeders,

Figure 8 is a section on the line 88 of Figure 7 drawn on'an enlarged scale,

Figure 9 is a plan of the selector in the position which it occupied during the normal knitting operation,

Figure 10 is a similar view showing the selector in the position which it occupies when a change in the yarn feed is taking place,

Figure 11 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the movement of the yarn feeder in delivering yarn to a needle,

Figure 12 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view showing the needle in side elevation during the delivery of yarn thereto, and

Figure 13 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the movement of the feeder and the position thereof after the yarn has been looped around the needle.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in the various figures of the drawings.

In this construction there is disposed adjacent the knitting location of the machine, a yarn-feeding mechanism that comprises five independently movable yarn feeders numbered 1014 respectively, see Figure 1. One of these feeders may be a twin feeder, it having two yarn-guiding passages one to feed a main yarn and the other a plating yarn. Such a twin feeder is illustrated in the coending application of these applica-nts, erial No. 196,961, filed June 6, 1927, and it is deemed unnecessary to illustrate this feature in detail. The other feeders are adapted each to feed a single yarn.

During the normal progress of the knitting operation, one of the feeders 1044 for a predetermined period feeds yarn to the needles while the other feeders are inoperative, at the end of which period the active feeder is withdrawn and its place taken by another feeder, that previously was inactive as far as the knitting is concerned. The length of the time-period during which each feeder is active and the order in which each feeder becomes active during the knitting of a given work-piece is determined by mechanism, presently to be described, that is controlled by the usual pattern chain'of the machine. Thus by the aid of this mechanism, a given work-piece may be made up of different portions, one portion composed of yarn derived from one of the said feeders, and another portion composed of yarn derived from another of the feeders, and certain portions of the work-piece if a twin feeder isprovidedwhen the twin feeder is active and both of its passages supplied with yarnmay have a plating yarn incorporated in it. I

Each of the feeders 10-14 when regarded in plan-see Figure 2in which for clearnss only the feeders 10 and 11 and their operating levers are shown, consists of a some what L-shaped bar or wire whereof one limb 15 termed herein the shank, is mounted to slide endwise and rotate in bearin s formed for it in the upright limbs 16, l of a U- shaped carrier 18 mounted on a stationary supporting frame 19.

The feeder shanks 15 are disposed horizontally, in the U-shaped carrier 18, one above another in a vertical plane extending approximately parallel with a tangent-plane of the needle cylinders at the yarn-feeding location. The other limb 119 of each feeder is directed toward the needle cylinders, and the feeders are so arranged that the yarnguiding passages at the ends of the limbs 119 lie adjacent each other in an approximately horizontal plane at or near the usual position which a feeder occupies when feeding yarn to the needles. The U-shaped carrier 18 is pivoted at 20 upon the supporting frame 19 so that it is capable of swinging about a vertical axis located in the neighbourhood of that one of its limbs, namely 17. that is the more remote from the yarn passages in the feeders.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the yarn-feeding end of each feeder can have imparted to it movements as follows :--A movement tangentially of the ncedle cylinders by the endwise sliding of the feeder shank 15 in the U shaped carrier 16: a movement toward and from and substantially radially of said cylinders by the swinging of the U-shaped carrier about its axis :20; and a movement substantialy parallel with the axis of said cylinders by a turning of the feeder about the axis of its shank.

In the present construction there are live devices for cutting and trapping the yarn, one of these devices being allocated to each feeder and hereinafter described with reference to Figures 4, 5 and 6. These devices are mounted upon the supporting frame 19 in such a position that during the normal knitting operationi. e. when no feed change is taking plaoe-each is situated adjacent the feeder to which it appertains.

In the operation of the machine, when a change of yarn by substitution of one feeder for another feederis to be made, the feeder to supply the new yarn moves forwardly in the direction of rotation of the needle cylindersindicated by the arrow in Figure 2'to a point somewhat beyond the normal feed location, namely at the point at which the latches of the descending needles in their closing movement have arrived in a position approximately at right angles to the body of the needles. The said feeder also moves inwardly toward the needle cylinders and its feeding end dips down somewhat to bring it to the level of the latches at this point where it lays its yarn in the needle just above the needle latchthe end of the yarn being at this time trapped by the yarn-trapping device appertaining to this feeder. The

latch now closes upon the yarn, the trapping device releases the yarn end which is knitting into the work and the feeder moves upwardly, outwardly and backwardly to its normal position from which it feeds yarn to the needles.

During these movements of thls feeder, the feeder which previously was supplying yarn to the needles moves outwardly and backwardly, and its feeding end dips to place its yarn betweenthe jaws of its cutting and trapping device which thereupon operates to sever the yarn leading to the needles-which knit in the end thus formedand to trap and hold the yarn going through its feeder to the supply;

It is to be understood that in the changing of the supply of yarn to the needles, the feeder which is introducingthe new yarn lays the yarn, the end of which is at this time trapped, adjacent a descending needle and above the closing latch of this needle which is then standing out approximately at right angles to the needle shank. The combined move ment of the descending needle and of the feeder wraps the yarn about the needle hook thereby forming a loop both strands of which are taken up and knitted into the work by the needles succeeding the needle around which the loop was placed initially. The trapper releases its hold on the yarn end either as the yarnv is being looped as just described or subsequent to this looping action.

The several operations just described are illustrated in Figs. 12, 13, and 14 which are of a purely diagrammatic character and are intended to show only the components of the movements which are imparted to the feeder which is to supply the new yarn when a change of yarn is to be made. The actual path traversed by this feeder will depend upon the timing of-the cams whereby its movements are effected: Figures 11 and 13 are diagrammatic perspective views with the needle cylinder indicated in chain lines at a. Let it be assumed that the feeder f is to introduce the new yarn. This feeder first moves from its normal inoperative positionin which position the end of the yarn y is held in the trapper t-forwardly in the direction of rotation of the needle cylinders along the path p Figure 11 to a point p somewhat beyond the normal feed location, namely, at the point at which the latches of the descending needles in their closing movement have arrived in a position approximately at right angles to the body of the needles as shown in Figure 12. The feeder f also moves inwardly (i. e. substantially radially of the needle cylinder) toward the needle cylinder to the point 2 see Figures 11 and 12. The feeding end of the feederj also dips down to a point p so that it lays the yarn yin the needle just above the needle latch Z. At this time the end of the yarn 3 is held by the trapper 6 appertaining to this feeder f. The latch Z now closes upon the yarn y and the trapper t releases the yarn end. When the feeder has laid the yarn just above the latch l the needle 1% descends to the position shown in Figure 13, and the feeder f moves upwardly from p to 39 outwardly from p to 'p', and backwardly along the path 12*, in Figure 13 to the normal position from which it feeds yarn to the needles. The movement of the feeder from p to 12 then to p, and backwardly along the path combined with that of the descending needle causes the yarn y to be wrapped about the needle hook thereby forming a loop 0, as shown in Figure 13, both strands of which are taken up and knitted into the work by the needles succeeding the needle around which the loop was placed initially. I 1

To produce the dipping orfalling and rising movements of the feeding end of each feeder, the shank 15 of each is provided, between the cnds of the limbs 16, 17 of the U-shaped carrier 18, with a projecting arm 23, see especially Figures 7 and 8, which bears one to each feeder. Conveniently, each proj ecting arm as shown in Fig. 8 has a split boss 2? and is clamped on the' shank 15 by a screw 2 v The mechanism for swinging the itshape-r carrier 18 and for moving the feeders 1O lengthwise therein is as follows z-Qn the usual pattern chain-28, see Figure 1, of the ,pc is machine, in addition to the usual studs or cam projections thereon, there are located on the side of the chain opposite to that occupied by said studs, other studs 29 especially appropriated to the feed-changing mechanism. These studs which differ relatively in height to correspond to the five feeders are each adapted to engage and operate one arm 30 of an elbow lever pivoted on a horizontal axis 31 in the main frame 32 of the machine, the other arm 33 of which lever is connected by a link 34 with one arm 35 of a second elbow lever, which turns about a vertical axis 30 on the frame 19 and has its other arm 37 engaging in a slot 38 (Figs. 9 and 10) in an endwise movable member 39 which will be hereinafter termed the selector.

This slot is slightly wider than the arm as will be seen on reference to Figures 9 and 10 to allow for inaccuracies in the pattern chain. Conveniently, the arm 37 bears against the end of an adjusting screw 138 mounted in the end of the selector 39, and a spring 140 is interposed between said end and the frame 19 to return the selector to its normal position shown in Figure 9. A spring (not shown in the drawings) acting at any suitable point upon the system formed by the bell-crank levers 30, 33 and 35, 37 and their connecting link 34 tends to maintain the arm 30 in the range of the studs 29 on the pattern chain. The selector 39, in the present construction is in the form of a narrow plate or bar mounted in the frame 19 with its longest dimension horizontally disposed. Mounted upon a shaft 40 (Fig. 1) arranged parallel with the longest dimension of the above-mentioned plate is a pawl-carrying frame 41 which is continuously oscillated when the ma-- chine is running by an eccentric 42 fast upon arotating shaft 43 of the machine, the connections between the frame 41 and the disc 42 consisting of a strap 44 connected to one arm 45 of a two armed lever, the other arm 46 of which is connected by a link 47 to the frame 41.

A set of six pawls (Fig. 2) comprising five pawls 48 and a pawl 148 arranged side by side is mounted upon a shaft 49 supported in the frame 41 and arranged parallel with the sh aft 40 upon which that frame oscillates.

These pawls, which co-operate, respectively, with five ratchet wheels 50 and a ratchet wheel 150 respectively of six control units shelf 54, see Figures 9 and 10, which is sltuated at a lower level than the top edge 53 of the selector. This shelf when the selector has been appropriately positioned by an endwise shift, is engaged by the underside of the nose 52 of the pawl 48 when said pawl arrives near the end of its forward stroke, and thus maintains the pawl at this time in a position lower than that which it occupies when its nose engages the upper edges 53 of the selector before the shift took place. Adjacent this shelf 54 the selector is cut away as shown at 55, so as to afford no support for the pawl when this cut-away portion is in line with the pawl path. Opposite the pawl 148 appertaining to the control unit which, as presently will be described, is common to all the feeders, the top edge 53 of the selector is cut away as shown at 56 to a level which conveniently may be the same as the shelf 54. This cutaway portion is at the proper times in the operation of the machine, brought by a shift of the selector 39 into line with the path of the pawl 148 to permit it to become operative.

Arranged side by side on the shaft 40 upon which the pawl-carrying frame 41 oscillates are five control units, one appropriate to each feeder, and also another control unit which is common to all the feeders. Each of the former units consists of a ratchet wheel 50 secured to which on one side is a cam 57 (see Figure 7) for operating a feeder and on the other side a cam 58 (see Figure 6) for the cutting and trapping device relating to that feeder. Each ratchet wheel 50 has six teeth, three of which .are longer than the others, the long teeth 59 and short teeth 60 alternating.

In the normal operation of the machine, that is to say, when no change in the feed is taking place, the selector 39 is so positioned that the pawls 48 are prevented from engaging their respective ratchet wheels 50. At this time the ratchet wheel 50 appertaining to the feeder 10 which is feeding yarn to the needles has a long tooth 59 in position to be engaged by its pawl when the selector 39 permits it to act, whereas the ratchet wheels ap pertaining to all the otherv feeders have a short tooth 60 in this position. In Figure 7 the pawl 48 appertaining to the yarn-feeder 10 is shown at the opposite end of its stroke to that shown in Figure 1.

When a change is to be made in the feed of the yarn, the selector 39 is moved endwise in the direction of the arrow, Figure 10, by the appropriate stud 29 on the pattern chain 28 a distance sufficient to bringone of its cut away portions into line with the pawl 48 of the control unit which is to throw the ..new feeder into action. This pawl now engages the short tooth which it finds awaiting it and on its backward stroke turns the ratchet wheel 50 and consequently the control unit and actuates the feeder and it's associated cutting and trapping device. This of the four just referred to finds, however, a

long tooth 59 awaiting it which notwithstanding that this pawl, like its four companions, rides upon a shelf 54, is still high enough to beengaged -by the pawl on itsbackward stroke so that this control unit is actuated to remove the feeder 10 from feeding position and to actuate its trapping an cutting device.

It will be understood that the cutaway portions 55 of the selector 39 and the shelves 54 thereon are so arranged in' relation to the spacing of the five pawls 48 that the selector may be shifted to bring a cutaway portion 55 opposite any one of the pawls and at the same time to place a shelf 54 in front of each of the other four pawls, the shelves differing in width to permit this to be effected. Further, a shift of the selector 39 to position a cutaway portion 55 opposite any one of the said five pawls, always brings the cutaway portion 56 opposite the pawl 148 which turns the control unit that is common to all the feeders as this particular unit is required to be operative whenever a feedchange is to be made irrespective of which feeders are to be thrown into and out of action.

To prevent the overthrow of the control units under the action of their pawls a friction device is provided which in the resent construction comprises a washer 61 ig. 2) located between each'two of the control units and a similar washer at each end of the 'set of these units, the whole being pressed together and against a stop 62 on theshaft 40 by a spiral spring 63 surrounding the shaft and hearing at one end against one end washer 61 and at the other end against an adjusting nut 64 on the shaft. The washers 61 .are prevented from turning on the shaft 40 by the shaft having a flat 65 formed upon it and the holes in the washers having a complemental shape. V

The control unit above referred to as common to all the feeders, comprises a block 66 (Fig. 2) which is provided with two arms in which are threaded screws adapted to engage a projection from the ratchet wheel 150 which is located on one side of the block; by adjusting these screws the angular relationship betwen the block and the said ratchet wheel can be changed to vary the timing of the parts. On the side of the ratchet-wheel 150 opposite to that on which the block 66 is situated is a cam 67 which is secured to said block. This control unit is rotated a distance equal to one tooth of the ratchet wheel 150 when a change in the supply of yarn to the needles is to be made by means of the pawl 148 which at that time always finds the cutaway portion 56 of the selector in its path so that it is free to turn its ratchet wheel. It will be appreciated that the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 150 are all of the same length. The function of the unit last described is to swing the U-shaped carrier 18 about its pivot 20 to move the feeders 10-14 towards and from the needle cylinders 21, 22, and to this end the pivot stud of this carrier is provided with an arm 68 which engages a second arm 69 which swings upon a shaft 70 supported in the frame 19 and is actuated by the cam 67 of the unit. The connection between these two arms is shown in Fig. 3 and consists of a screw 71 threaded in the arm 69 and abutting against the arm 68, a spring 72 (Fig. 1) tending to maintain the arm 68 in contact with the screw 71.

By turning this screw the angular position of the U-shaped carrier 18 and therefore the position of the feeders 10-14 radially of the needle cylinders can be adjusted. The free end of the arm 68 projecting from the pivot stud of the U shaped carrier extends between two adjustable stops 7 3, 74 on the stationary frame 19, these stops being in the form of screws threaded into upstanding posts one on each side of the lever. The screw 74 limits the inward movement of the feeders towards the needle cylinders so as to prevent engagement to these parts due to overthrow of the feederswhile the other screw 73 adjustably limits the movement of the feeders in the opposite direction. The connection between each feeder and the unit especially appertaining to it comprises a lever 75 which abuts against the end of the feeder and has on it a part 7 6 adapted to engage the cam 57 of the unit. These cam-engaging parts 76 are adjustable for the purpose of varying the position of the feeders lengthwise in the carrier 18. In the construction shown especially in Figure 7 the part 7 6' in the drawings is effected by a screw 79 which screws through a hole in the end of the lever and has on its end a plate 80' which engages the end of the shank 15 of the feeders, the plate 80 being wide enough to allow for movement of the feeder due to the swinging mo" ment of the U-shaped carrier 18 which carries the feeders. 'Adjustment by the screw 79 obviously varies the lengthwise position of each feeder in the U-shapedcarrier 18. It will be appreciated that, if desired, the adjusting screw 7 9 can be dispensed with and the endwise adjustment of the feeders effected by means of the screw 78 alone. Each of the levers 7 5 is kept in engagement with its cam by an appropriate spring, for example, a spring such as 81 surrounding the shank 15 of the feeder and hearing at one end against the limb 16 of the U-shaped carrier 18 and at its other end against the projecting arm 23.

Dealing next with the cutting and trapping devices of which there are five, one to each feeder, each device (see especially Figures 1 and 5) comprises a lever 82 having at one end a cutter 83 that slides between two members 84, 85 whereof the member 8i acts as a shear blade to co-operate with'the cutter 83 in cutting the yarn and the member 85, positioned ata higher level than the shear blade edge, acts to trap the yarn by nipping it between its side and the non-cutting side of the cutter. The cutting edge of the cutter 83 is formed upon the upper side of a notch 86 formedin the cutter blade into which notch the yarn is placed by the feeder when the yarn is to be cut and trapped. The connection between the cutter-carrying lever 82 of this device and the operating cam 58 of its particular unit consists of a two-armed lever whereof the arm 87 presses against that cam and the other arm 88 has at its upper end a wire 89 which passes through a guiding tube 90 having one end located near the free end of the cutter carrying lever 82 and mounted in the frame 19. For the purpose of adjusting the wire 89 to adjust the height to which the cutter-carrying end of the cutter lever 82 is lifted, the wire is not connected directly to the arm 88 of the cam-operated two-armed lever but the upper end of the arm 88 is slit vertically to receive the wire and the end of the wire has secured to it a nipple 91 which fits within a recess of complemental form formed in the head of a screw 92 which is screwed into the arm 88 and is bored to accommodate the wire.

To permit ready disconnection of the parts the end of the cutter-carrying lever 82 is slit vertically to receive the wire and the end of the wire has secured to it a nipple 93 which fits within a recess of complemental form formed in the upper surface of the lever 82 at the inner end of the slit. The cutting and trapping device is closed b' a spring plunger 94 which engages the en of the lever 82 near its point of attachment with the wire 89. In the particular construction now being described, the body parts of the devices are mounted side by side on two ins 95 projecting from a stationary part 96 o the machine, holes being formed in these parts to receive the pins which are provided with nuts to secure the parts in place thedevices being spaced apart by any suitable means. The cuttor-carrying levers 82 of these devices are also mounted upon a pivot 97 common to all of them and formed b a stud screwed into the stationary part of t 1e machine. Each of the cams 58 for these devices is provided with six cam projections 100 which engage a projection 101 on the arm 87 of the corresponding two-armed lever hereinbefore referred to. hen the cam projections 100 are operative, the cutter and trapping devices are open as shown in Figures 4 and 5, but when the cam projection 100 leaves the projection 101 the spring-controlled plunger 94; causes the lever 82 to turn about its pivot 97 and the yarn which has then been introduced into the device to be first trapped and then cut.

The non-rotating shaft 40 which supports the six control units before mentioned and upon which the pawl-carrying frame 41 oscillates is supported at its ends at the bottoms of two downwardly-inclined slots 98 formed in the frame 19 in which position it is secured in place by a screw 99 passing through a diametral hole in each of its ends and screwing into the frame 19. This manner of suporting these parts is advantageous in that it enables the shaft and all the parts it carries to be removed readily from the machine for purposes of inspection or adjust ment when the link 47 is disconected from the frame 41.

It is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the precise constructional details described, as various changes may be made therein, for example in order to suit the particular machine to which the invention is applied, or the number of yarn changes which are required.

We claim 1. In a knitting'machine having a series of needles, the combination with a yarn feeder, of a trapper associated therewith having a yarn end trapped therein, mechanism for moving the feeder While the yarn end remains trapped so a to'loop the y about a needle a series of needles provided with hooks and I- i latches for said hooks, the combination with a yarn feeder, of a trapper associated therewith having a yarn end trapped therein, mechanism for moving the feeder while the yarn end remains trapped so as to loop the yarn about the hook of a needle which is situated at a position in the needle circle where the needle latch is closing and extends approximately at right angles to the needle,

and for thereafter moving the feeder to feed both strands of the loop to successive needle hooks, and means to release the yarn from the trapper.

3. In a knitting machine having a series of needles, the combination with a. plurality relatively thereto, means for moving said carrier and for moving the selected feeder relatively to said carrier, and means to release the yarn from the trapper.

4. In a knitting machine having a series of needles, the combination with a plurality of yarn feeders, of mechanism for substituting the yarn guided by one feeder for the yarn guided by another feeder and being delivered to the needles, said mechanism including a plurality of trappers associated respectively with the feeders, the trapper associated with said first named feeder holding the free end of the.yarn to be substituted, means for moving said first named feeder so as to loop the yarn about a needle and feed both strands of the loop to successive needles,means to release the yarn end from the trapper, means to move said second named feeder to deliver the replaced yarn to the trapper associated therewith, and means for severing the replaced yarn.

- 5. In a knitting machine having a series of needles, a yarn-changing mechanism comprising a plurality of relatively movable yarn feeders, a common carrier for said feeders in which said feeders are movably supported, and means for moving said carrier for simultaneously moving said feeders and for moving said feeders individually with respect to said carrier to impart yarn-changing movement to said feeders.

6. In a knitting machine having a series of needles, a yarn-changing mechanism comprising a plurality of relatively movable yarn feeders, a common carrier for said feeders in which said feeders are movably supported, said carrier being movable to shift said feeders toward and away from said needles, and said feeders being movable within said carrier in directions substantially transverse to and longitudinally of said needles, and means for moving said carrier and selecting and moving individual feeders to impart yarn-changing movement to said feeders.

7. In a knitting machine, yarn feeder interchanging mechanism comprising a U- shaped pivotally mounted carrier, a plurality of substantially L-shaped yarn feeders whereof one limb of each feeder is mounted to slide endwise and to rotate in the side limbs of thc carrier, means to turn said carrier about its pivot, means to move each feeder endwise, and means to rotate each feeder about the axis of its aforesaid limb, for the purpose set forth.

8. In a knitting machine, yarn feeder interchanging mechanism comprising a movable carrier, a plurality of yarn feeders mounted for individual rotary and bodily shifting movements in said carrier, cam means fixedly mounted on said carrier and engaged by said feeders and acting to rotate the latter when the feeders are shifted bodily, and means for shiftin the feeders and moving said carrier to impart yarn-changing movements thereto. I

9. In a knitting machine, the combination witha plurality of yarn feeders, of mechanism for imparting yarn-changing movements to said feeders, said mechanism includ ing a plurality of pawl and ratchet devices, one associated with each feeder, each pawl being normally'disengaged from the corresponding ratchet, means for continuously reciprocating said pawls, and selector mechanism for shifting certain of said pawls into operativeengagement with the corresponding ratchets to impart yarn-changing movements to the associated feeders.

10. In a knitting machine, the combination with a plurality of yarn feeders, of mechanism for imparting yarn-changing movements to two of said feeders to substitute'one for the other, said movements havinga component common to both feeders, said mechanism including a plurality of normally inoperative devices, each associated with a single feeder, for imparting individual movement thereto, and normally inoperative means associated with all of said feeders for imparting simultaneous movement thereto, and selector mechanism operable to select and set in operation two of said devices and said means to-impart movement to the corresponding pair of feeders.

11. The combination set forth in claim 10 in which the said devices and the said means each include a normally disengaged pawl and ratchet mechanism, and means for continuously reciprocating said pawls, said selector mechanism acting to operatively engage the pawl and ratchet mechanisms of the corresponding devices and means selected thereby.

12. In a knitting machine, the combination with a plurality of yarn feeders, of mechanism for imparting yarn-changing movements to said feeders, said mechanism in cluding a plurality of pawl and ratchet devices, one associated with each feeder, an element'positioned adjacent said ratchets and normally preventing contact between said pawls and ratchets, said element being provided with slots to receive said pawls to permit the latter to engage with the corresponding ratchets, said slots being so positioned with respect to said pawls that the extent movement of said element transversely of said pawls permits certain of said pawls to fall in said slots to effect selection of the pawl and ratchet devices, means for reciprocating said pawls, and a selector mechanism for moving said element to a predetermined extent.

13. In a knitting machine, the combina- 5 tion with a plurality of yarn feeders, of a plurality of trappers each associated with one of said feeders, a series of separate control means each connectedwith a slngle feeder and associated trapper to cause the latter to 10 execute yarn-changing movements, and selector mechanism for selecting certain of said control means to cause the latter to actuate the associated feeder and trapper.

In testimony whereof we have signed our 15 names to this specification.

PERCIVAL ARTHUR BENTLEY.

CHARLES FREDERICK MANGER. CARLYLE HERBERT WAINWRIGHT. 

